Tag: coffee

Microscopic Coils and Coffee Trees Lead to an Amazing New Fungal Discovery

Two new species of fungi have been found living on dead coffee plant branches in China’s Yunnan Province.

Yunnan Province in southwestern China is a global biodiversity hotspot, accommodating an incredible variety of plants and animals. It is also the heart of China’s coffee industry, with Yunnan accounting for almost all of the country’s coffee production. However, coffee plants are very common hosts for many types of fungi, which can act as harmful diseases, harmless residents, or natural recyclers – these factors can impact the plant’s health and how much coffee it produces. 

A new study published in the open-access journal MycoKeys, and led by Mei-Yan Han of Chiang Mai University, revealed two novel species of Neohelicomyces fungi: Neohelicomyces coffeae and Neohelicomyces puerensis. While studying the fungi that live on Coffea arabica, the team spotted these unique organisms growing on dead coffee branches. This discovery underscores the need for further investigations into the fungal diversity of the region.

Both species are characterised by their coil-shaped structures which appear as glistening white patches on coffee plants. Specifically, N. coffeae features short stems and small, multi-sectioned spores, while N. puerensis is distinguished by its tightly coiled filaments and unbranched stems. While the former is named after the host genus Coffea, the latter references the locality in which both species were found: Pu’er City.

  • Neohelicomyces coffeae (GMB-W1490, holotype). Photo credit: Mei-Yan Han et al.
  • Neohelicomyces puerensis (GMB-W1485, holotype). Photo credit: Mei-Yan Han et al.

Importantly, these fungi are classified as saprophytic because they were found growing exclusively on the dead branches of coffee plants rather than on living tissue. Functioning as nature’s essential recyclers, they obtain their energy by breaking down complex organic materials like wood and cellulose. Therefore, by decomposing this dead matter, both play a vital role in the coffee ecosystem by unlocking trapped nutrients and returning them to the soil. This incentive subsequently helps support the growth of the surrounding living coffee plants.

Saprophytic fungi are additionally being studied as potential sources for new medicines and agricultural tools. Scientists have found that the family to which these new species belong, Tubeufiaceae, can produce natural chemicals that fight off bacteria, other fungi, and even certain types of cancer. Specifically, researchers have already discovered compounds related to Neohelicomyces species that show promise in slowing the growth of human cancer cells. 

As of 2026, there are 36 known species of Neohelicomyces, with the vast majority found in China – particularly in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces – though they also appear in Europe and North America. By expanding their known diversity specifically in agricultural environments, researchers have shed light on their ecological potentials, and have called attention to their future biotechnological applications.

Following these discoveries, it is certain that the future of fungal research is starting to brew.

Original source:

Han M-Y, Yang J-Y, Karunarathna SC, Kumla J, Lu L, Zheng D-G, Elgorban AM, Alfagham AT, Yu F-Q, Dai D-Q, Zhang L-J, Suwannarach N, Tibpromma S (2026) Two new Neohelicomyces species (Tubeufiaceae, Tubeufiales) associated with Coffea arabica L. in Yunnan Province, China. MycoKeys 127: 343-362. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.127.173937

New gorgeous coffee tree species from Honduras is critically endangered

Amid the challenging terrain of north-western Honduras, where Dr. Kelly’s team faced rugged and steep forest areas cut across here and there by a few trails, a gorgeous tree with cherry-like fruits was discovered. Being about 10 metres (33 ft) high and covered with cream-colored flowers, it was quickly sorted into the Coffee family (Rubiaceae), but it was its further description that took much longer. Eventually, it was named Sommera cusucoana, with its specific name stemming from its so far only known locality, the Cusuco National Park. The study is available in the open-access journal PhytoKeys.

During a plant diversity study in the Cusuco National Park, conducted by Drs. Kelly, Dietzch and co-workers as a part of a broader survey by Operation Wallacea, an international organisation dealing with biodiversity and conservation management research programmes.

A couple of curious findings in the past decade provide a strong incentive to further work. The place turns out to be not only of high biodiversity, but to also contain rare and hitherto unknown plant and animal species.

For instance, the tree Hondurodendron (from Greek, ‘Honduras Tree’) and the herbaceous plant Calathea carolineae are another two endemic species discovered as a result of the Operation Wallacea survey.

In 2013, two individuals of another unknown, 10-metre high (33 ft) tree with cream-colored flowers and red, cherry-like fruits were found by Daniel Kelly and Anke Dietzsch from Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland. The two were aided by local guide Wilmer Lopez.

The multinational collaboration did not stop then and there. Although the scientists quickly figured that the tree belonged to the Coffee family, they needed some additional help to further identify their discovery. Thus, they were joined by two leading specialist in this plant group, first Charlotte Taylor from Missouri Botanical Garden and then David Lorence from the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii.

It was actually David who was the first to recognise the unknown tree as a member of theSommera genus, a group of nine known species of trees and shrubs. Later, the team decided to name the new plant Sommera cusucoana to celebrate its singular locality, the Cusuco National Park.

“Sadly, there has been extensive logging in the vicinity in recent years, and we fear for the future of our new species,” the authors stressed. “According to the criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it must be regarded as Critically Endangered.”

“We hope that the publication of this and other discoveries will help to galvanize support for the conservation of this unique and beautiful park and its denizens,” they concluded.

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Original Source:

Lorence DH, Dietzsch AC, Kelly DL (2015) Sommera cusucoana, a new species of Rubiaceaefrom Honduras. PhytoKeys 57: 1-9. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.57.5339